


Of Cracks and Crystals

by idrilhadhafang



Series: The Broken Edge Deleted Extended and Alternate Scenes -- Ben's childhood [3]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo's childhood, Ben and Poe are best friends, Ben has nightmares, Best Friends, Broken Bones, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Crystals, Foreshadowing, Gen, Hurt Ben, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Jedi Ben, Jedi Ben Solo, Kid Fic, Knights of the old republic references, Kyber Crystals, Lightsabers, Major Character Injury, Mother-Son Relationship, Nightmares, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Young Ben, Young Ben Solo, Young Poe Dameron, lightsaber crystals, mentioned Revan/Bastila
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 06:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11961192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: In which Ben scouting for a present for Poe leads to an injury.





	Of Cracks and Crystals

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Kidfic
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

 

 Searching for lightsaber crystals could be dangerous. So Uncle Luke told him. And yet even heading into one of the lightsaber coves on Yavin IV, Ben couldn't help but feel a certain amount of excitement. He was going to build a lightsaber for the first time. He was going to be a Jedi Guardian, a hero protecting the weak and fighting the bad guys.

All of that...all of that he was more than looking forward to.

He couldn't help but skip throughout the cave, collecting crystals where he could, amazed at the sheer range of colors that were in front of him. Blue, purple, orange, silver even...

(He wondered why there were no red crystals. Master Huyang once said that red crystals were used by the Bad Guys, but why would a color by itself mean that someone was bad? Red wasn't a bad color)

Unfortunately for Ben, he was so caught up in searching for crystals that he missed a wet spot in the cave. It all happened so fast -- he slipped, he fell, and his uncle shouted his name in horror.

There was a sudden, painful crack, and it hurt, it hurt so much, and Ben was wailing even as the excruciating pain shot through his body. Uncle Luke ran to him, and, barely avoiding slipping on the wet spot himself, scooped Ben into his arms. Some of the crystals fell from Ben's grip, making him cry harder. He was getting some of them for Poe. Even the idea of letting Poe down was too horrifying to imagine.

"It's okay, Ben. There. I've got the crystals. See?" Uncle Luke reached out -- as best he could -- to show Ben the crystals he managed to salvage. "I found them."

Ben sniffled. At least he could comfort himself with the fact that Poe would be happy to see them.

***

His ankle hurt. Ben could practically see how broken it was, and it just made him wail even harder, even with Uncle Luke trying to soothe him and putting him on the bed, according to the medics' orders, in a way that wouldn't make the injury worse. Uncle Luke was trying, but it didn't work, because it still hurt, and Ben wanted his daddy, wanted Poe, wanted to go home...

It hurt. Everything hurt, and Master Mei trying to tell him that they'd have to sedate him (whatever that meant) didn't help anything, even though Ben knew she was trying to be soothing and kind. Ben sniffled, nodded, and there was a pinprick of pain.

Then Ben was unconscious.

***  
His dreams were bizarre in that moment, jumbled, confused. He could swear that he saw a man in a mask, but he couldn't see him very well -- the most he could make out through his dream was that it looked like some kind of strange and bizarre monster. A monster that breathed too heavily, a monster that faded out to reveal a man with golden curls and golden eyes, glaring at him. By the time that Ben woke, screaming, pleading not to be put under again, Uncle Luke was already promising him that he would never have to go through that again.

"What were you thinking?" Mommy was saying. "Taking Ben out there -- "

"I didn't think that he would actually get hurt." Uncle Luke said.

"You didn't think. Exactly. What if he had died -- "

"Please!" Poe, this time. "Don't fight!"

Mommy and Uncle Luke turned to look at Poe, seeming surprised that a Big Kid would say something like that.

"I'm sorry, Mommy, Uncle Luke," Ben said. "I'm sorry about getting hurt."

The looks on their faces suggested their hearts were breaking. Then, "Don't apologize, Ben," Uncle Luke said. "We're just glad you're all right."

 

 

***

Ben's ankle was already healing up. It wasn't by much, but it was healing. Poe waited by his side whenever he could and told him funny stories whenever he could. It wasn't all bad, having to wait in the medbay to get better, Ben thought -- Dad brought him ice cream to make him feel better and Uncle Luke read him stories (Ben found that the story of Revan and Bastila was one of his favorites, and he asked his uncle to repeat it whenever he could), Uncle Lando and Mom brought him presents, and Poe did things like draw him pictures and tell him stories. Ben also found time to give Poe his leftover lightsaber crystals. He didn't give Poe the yellow ones; the yellow ones looked icky, and Poe didn't need icky crystals. It was worth seeing the look on Poe's face when Ben gave him the crystals.

"Ben -- "

"These are for you," Ben said. "Because you're my best friend."

Poe's face could have outshone the sun in that moment. Then, "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Ben grinned at him. "We'll be best friends forever, won't we?"

Poe grinned back. "Forever."

 

 

 

 


End file.
